Stray
by Atienne
Summary: Al finally convinces Ed to let him keep a stray he finds sleeping in the rain. Implied AlxOC
1. Alone

**DISCLAIMER:** DON'T OWN FMA.

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><p><strong>-Alphonse PoV-<strong>

_What can I say? She was wet and hungry. Starving, actually. This little stray's name was Ocean. She was probably called that because of her eyes. She had dark orange fur and a big fluffy tail. Brother actually let me keep her, though. That's what shocked me. He'd said no the past few times. Maybe the fact that she didn't like milk helped. I'm just happy he said we could keep her with us. She seems to be adjusting well, though she's a bit distant. Her bright blue eyes always clouded with some past memory. I wasn't sure she even had any good memories. _

_Despite her eyes, she's very happy. She's always purring as long as someone was either talking to her or acknowledging her existence. She must not have had a lot of attention when she was younger. Ed seems to be adjusting well to having her around, too. I think I could even go so far as to say he __**likes**__ her. It's a good thing, too. I was afraid he'd start trying to look for someone else to take her off our hands, but no._

_Brother and I have both noticed something about her. She has a really big scar going from her neck all the way (from what I can tell) down her back. It looks like it could be from a knife mark, but I can't tell very well in my situation. Being nothing but a hunk of iron and a soul, it's hard to tell what it could be. She doesn't seem to care, though. Ocean's just happy to see people. My guess is that she hasn't had a lot of human contact. Sad… She's so young and fragile.._

**-Ocean PoV-**

"Ocean?" an echoed voice came from behind me. I spun on my heels to see the large suit of armor that'd begged his brother to keep me. My long, fluffy, orange tail flicked behind me as I stepped closer to where he was sitting against the wall. "Have you been awake long?" I muttered in question, sitting beside him against the wall. "N-No.." he squeaked, obviously shocked by my question. I hadn't known the Elrics very long. About a month, in fact. His voice was echoed, so I wasn't sure if he was lying or not.

"Alphonse. Don't you _dare_ lie to me," I growled slightly, my sharp canines scratching against the rest of my teeth. Yes, I was a chimera. Pip-pip and doodely-doo, you figured it out. I was taken along with the Elrics because of pity. The younger saw me alone in the rain and begged the short one to keep me. The haunting memories of being a lab rat would forever follow me, but at least I was beginning to have a few good memories. "Alright… To be honest… I-I don't sleep… at all," he sighed. His response made me blink slightly, trying to wrap my mind around how that was possible. But I didn't wasn't to prod. If he wanted me to know the rest, he'd tell me. "Don't you get lonely out here all alone?"

The armor turned away a bit, "Sometimes. But it gives me some time to think." I purred softly, the cat half of my body kicking in a bit. "If you'd like, I could stay up at night with you. That way you'd always have someone to talk to…" His arms flew up in surrender and the metal clanked when he shook his head, "N-No! You don't have to do that!" I blinked up at him and I felt my ear twitch while I scooted closer. "Don't worry about me. It's not a big deal," I mumbled. It really wasn't a big deal. I mean, seriously! I'm part frickin' cat!

"Are you…Are you sure that you would want to?" he asked in a small voice. My purrs got louder and my tail moved to lie over his large leather-clad hand, "Of course. It's the least I can do to repay you." I blushed slightly and I looked down as I moved closer and curled up next to him, my head resting on his leg. He was so kind towards me. I wished I could be like him, but I doubted that'd ever happen. "O-Ok.. Thank you, Ocean." The corners of my lips curled into a faint smile, "No problem, Al. I can just sleep during the day.. I'll work something out. But you won't have to be alone anymore.."

_-Flashback-_

_Rain beat down on my head as I ran towards a building for shelter. The front of the building had the Amestrian symbol on it. It must've been the military HQ here in Central or something close to that… I hid in the corner, shivering slightly at the wet shirt clinging to me. There was a bit of blurriness as I fell asleep, curled up against the side of the building. Soon after I felt myself being lifted up and held against something solid and cold, waking me up. I kept my eyes closed and listened to the conversation. _

_"Please! C'mon Brother, look at her! She's curled up all alone in the rain," a squeaky, almost childish voice pleaded. "Al… No." another, angrier voice replied. There was a small pause as soft sobbing noises were made. "We can take her inside and get her some food and get her warmed up, but that's all. Nothing else, alright?" there was a clank and I sensed movement to somewhere warm. I forced myself back into my slumber, like most cats do._

__-X-__

_The smell of food invaded my nose as I started to gain consciousness. "Nngh…" I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. My vision was blurred, but from what I could tell, there were two people in the room with me. There was a man with black hair and a blond woman. It was mostly the black haired one that was speaking. He was also showing her pictures. From what I heard, it was his daughter and his wife. The blond looked over and saw that I was awake and then, with a VERY relieved face, rushed over to me, grabbing a tray off the table next to, what looked like, a hospital bed and setting it in my lap. _

_My mouth watered slightly. I couldn't even remember when the last time I had eaten at all, much less a full meal! I cast a glance up to the woman. Her brown eyes glimmered and she gave a small smile, "Go ahead. That's for you." She didn't have to tell me twice. I nodded and dug in, stuffing my mouth but I still made sure to savor the taste. I didn't know when the next time I would eat was going to be, so I'd better enjoy it. She blinked as the man came to stand beside her. She whispered a few things to him and then they both turned to leave. I quickly swallowed the bite I had, "W-Wait! Where are you two g-g-going?"_

_They both offered a small smile and the woman chuckled, "Don't worry. You won't be alone. The two that brought you here are waiting outside. They wanted to make sure you were alright." I blinked my wide eyes and nodded, returning to my food. The two that brought me here? Guess I'd have to wait to see who __**exactly**__ they were. There were footsteps as I started to eat again. There was a set of loud, metallic ones and a softer pair of steps that I could hear. "So, looks like you're good to go, right? After you're finished eating, my brother and I would be happy to take you home."_

_My entire body stiffened at the last word he'd said. I gulped and turned my gaze up at him, "H-Home?" The boy nodded and gave me a questioning glance, "Yeah, home. Is there something going on in your home that made you run away?" "I….I don't have one…" I answered, my brows furrowing in anger and my ear twitching a bit. I looked down at the now empty plate and completely full glass of milk. Eck.. I hated the stuff. I may be part cat, but it was gross! Evil cow nectar! Gross.. The childish voice from before replied to me in a soft tone, "Is that why you were asleep on the corner?" I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded, warm streams flowing from my lashes and down my cheeks. The blond spoke next, "I'm sorry.. I didn't know…"_

_My head shook back and forth before I looked back up at them. "It's fine. But let me ask you this… Why do you care about a little chimera asleep on the side of a building?" My tail twirled around in circles along with my stomach twisting up in about a million knots. "Because I care about people. It's not good to sleep in the rain," the one in the armor muttered. His voice held honesty, even though I couldn't see him. I wished I could be like him, so kind and loving. _

_-End Flashback-_

My mouth opened wide in a big yawn and I snapped it shut quickly. I noticed the sun starting to come up and then I sighed, "I'm sorry, Alphonse… I'm getting pretty tired. You think you'll be okay for a few hours? Just until Ed wakes up?" There was a smile audible in his voice, "I'll be fine. You go ahead and get some sleep." I nodded stiffly and curled back into a tight ball with my head against his leg. His large hand stroked though my waist-length hair as I started to sleep. My tail started to curl around my ankles and I purred, my chest vibrating in an unheard rhythm. "G'nite…Al.."

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><p>Atienne: hehe. this will probably be left as a oneshot. UNLESS someone reviews and tells me to continue. then I'll consider making it a whole fic.<br>Alphonse: i liked myself in this. good job with the script.  
>Atienne: pls tell me if i did alright with his PoV!<br>Ocean: i think you got Ed a little OOC..  
>Atienne: well... anyways... Please review! Please? TT^TT Anonymous is allowed, ya know!<p> 


	2. Darkness of the Ocean

**DISCLAIMER:** don't own FMA.

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><p><strong>-Alphonse PoV-<strong>

_Ocean has gotten this habit of curling up against my leg lately. It's like she doesn't notice that the only thing there is that hollow hunk of metal. In fact, I don't believe she cares about that at all. I've seen Brother shivering at night, even under the covers, but she's content laying most of her body against this, must be, freezing armor. Honestly, I think she wants to lay here instead of in the bed. Why she does, I'll never understand… _

_In the past few weeks of her staying up to keep me company, we've learned a good deal about each other. She knows four different languages, including the Language of Flowers. I didn't even know that flowers HAD a language. I've told her about the days when Ed and I lived in Risembool and when mom was alive. Not once has she asked why I'm always in this cold, metal shell or why I don't sleep. I'm __**definitely**__ not complaining about that. It's relieving not to have someone always asking me that._

**-Ocean PoV-**

Something shook my shoulder gently and I yawned, opening my eyes slowly. Must be time for me to wake up. I'd been riding on Al's back during the day since I'd agreed to stay up with him at night. I'd asked a million times if he was sure that he didn't mind. Every time I was responded to with a very polite and almost gleeful 'yes'. I stretched and looked around. Ed was already in bed, and Al had taken a spot against the wall, but still close to his brother's bed. I smiled and pounced over beside the armor, nestling against him in my normal spot. "Hey, Al!" I chimed with a slight purr in my voice. A big, leather hand reached out to stroke my ear, making my purrs louder. "Hi, Ocean.. How did you sleep?" he asked. "I slept alright.." I exhaled. That was a lie, though. My subconscious is constantly attacked by memories of my past. "A-Alphonse, can I ask you a question?"

"S-Sure, Ocean," he said cautiously and suspiciously. "Have you… Have you ever done something so terrible that it could never be forgiven?" I asked in a small voice, staring down at the floor. "Would you hate me if I said yes?" a quiet voice replied. "No.. Because I know what it's like.." I sighed, tears blurring the sight of the armor looming over me. I forced myself to curl tighter, my ears flat against my head. "W-What?" he gasped loudly. I sniffled and looked up at him, "I used to be a military officer… But I was also a murderer… The first time it was an accident, but the adrenaline built up and the urge to kill became an addiction…" it was torture to speak of my dark past, but I forced myself to go on. "After a while I became a rogue and I had wanted posters up all over Amestris…When the Furher finally found me I was shipped off and used as a lab rat. That's how I became a chimera."

The armor stiffened after I had let out all of my horrid past. He probably hated me now… Not like I could blame him. "D-Do you still h-h-have the urge?" he squeaked. "No, Alphonse. I'm not going to kill you or Edward," I spoke softly, trying to be reassuring. I was honest, though. The urge to kill has been gone for a very long time. "So… Now that I've told you my secret… What did you do?" I asked, looking up at him. There was a long pause and then he pulled off his helmet, "Here. Look inside and you'll see." I blinked and got on my feet, staring into the armor. I gasped when I saw what he was showing me. The armor was completely empty except for the blood rune on the back. "H-How?" was all I managed to say.

"Brother and I grew up in a small village called Risembool.. We lived there happily with our mother. She was the only family we had after our father left, but when I was 10 she got very sick and died… We found an alchemist named Izumi and she trained us. When we were finished, we went back to our house and tried to bring mom back with…" Alphonse trailed off after that, but he didn't need to finish. I knew what was next. "So you lost your body?" I voiced my thoughts. "Yeah," he answered, putting his helmet back in its place while I curled up against his leg once more. "Brother lost his leg, then sacrificed his arm to attach my soul to this armor," he finished. "So you're looking for the Philosopher's stone to get your body back?"

"Yes."

Hearing his story made me sad… "I'm sorry," I whispered. "Don't be. You weren't there, and it wasn't your fault." My eyes widened at his reply. Nobody had ever been so kind to me. People like him are the reason why I vowed to stop fighting. Always so kind-hearted and willing to help.. That's what I wished I could be like. But I've always assumed that you had to be born that way. So far, my theory had been proven correct. I wanted to find some way to repay him for everything he'd done. I slowly sat up and pressed my lips to the side of the helmet for a second, then pulled away, giving a small, but genuine smile, "You're a good boy, Al."

If he had eyes, I was willing to bet my soul that they would be wide as a pair of dinner plates. Probably would be blushing, too. The way that the armor stiffened… but… maybe there was more to it than I'd thought. Soft sobbing noises could be heard, and it took a minute before I realized it was coming from him. "What's wrong?" I asked quietly. Leather hands reached out and pulled me into a hug, his actions earning an involuntary gasp of surprise from me. "Th-that's something mom always d-did for me a-and Brother..H-H-How did you k-know?" he cried. Honestly, I wondered how Ed managed to sleep through all this. I blinked when he told me that his mother did that. "That's what my big brother always did for me…"

His arms were wrapped around me pretty tight, so I doubted I'd get out of this embrace any time soon. I exhaled and leaned back against him, smiling against the cool metal. Not like I really _wanted_ to go anywhere. Contrary to popular belief, the situation I was in was very comfortable. "Thank you…" he sobbed silently. "For what, Alphonse?" I asked, a little bit confused. "For listening."

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><p><strong>[AN]**I really like how this turned out ^_6 Please review for me! Please?


	3. What's Real

**-Alphonse PoV-**

_Ever since Ocean told me about her secret about a month ago, I've been a bit worried. Not so much for mine and Brother's safety as much as what would happen if Ocean was recognized. I believed her when she said that she no longer had the desire to kill, and I'm glad that she trusted me enough to tell me…but… I do wish that I could tell Brother.. Knowing him, though, he'd make her leave.. Or worse, he'd turn her in to the military himself. I can't let that happen, but I feel as if I'm lying to him. I don't want to lie.. Especially not to him… I keep asking myself what to do, and I have two choices. Tell Ed, and take my chances, or keep it to myself.. Maybe I should ask Ocean.. _

**-Ocean PoV-**

"Hey, Ocean?" Ed asked from behind me. "Yeah, Ed?" I replied, not bothering to turn around from what I was doing. "Is that your real name? I've been wondering about that for a while.." he exhaled. I chuckled slightly and turned around for a second, "It's my nickname. Everyone in my family called me that because of my eyes." "Ah.. I see.." he muttered as I turned back to a cutting board, sighing at the quick beating of the knife as it sliced through a tomato. Yum.. tomatoes… "So what's your real name, then?" a squeaky voice questioned. "Aikoma.. Personally, I like Ocean better.."

"I think it's a pretty name.. Can I call you Aiko?" he asked softly. "Sure," I smiled, popping a piece of tomato in my mouth. "So, who exactly was your family?" Ed asked, giving me a look. I paled slightly at his question. He was in the military, so he probably knew Brother.. "I-I…" I stammered, letting the knife I was holding fall to the ground. The clatter was nothing in my mind as the thought of what happened to my family. They were all killed by a homunculus named Jealousy. I needed to clear my head… _Run, run, run, run!_ my mind screamed at me, and I gladly obeyed, dashing out the door. "Brother! Now look what you've done!" Al scolded the older male.

The grass was very wet. I just about tripped over my own feet to get away from the old barn we were currently staying in. I growled a bit at myself, getting on all fours and running like that. Being a chimera had its advantages. The small fire I'd help start was growing smaller as I turned back to look at the barn. I was getting quite far away, but it wasn't far enough. Not yet. _Why did he have to ask me that? _"Aiko!" I could barely hear someone yell my name. It was probably Al. But, wait. Al's voice wasn't that deep. Neither was Ed's. That voice was from in front of me. "Aikoma?" it said. I could hear it clearly. I stopped quickly, standing up (Not that it made a difference!)

"I thought Furher Bradley sent you away," he muttered, almost angrily. "I got out of that place. They tortured us! Treated us like dirt!" I spat back at him. "That was your punishment! You DESERVED it!" he growled. "Nobody deserves what goes on in there! Not even the _worst_ people deserve that," I growled at him. "Killers do." That made me mad. "Brother, I know **personally** how many people YOU'VE killed," I stated firmly. "Including a pair of doctors. They were just doing their jobs, and they got shot!" His obsidian eyes widened in horror as I clenched my fists, making me take a deep breath. "Don't worry; I haven't had the urge to kill for years. Even if I did, I'd never kill you. I don't want to get in the way of your promotion, Roy." I released my fists, looking down at my feet.

"Where's Fullmetal and his brother?" he asked, his voice tinted with concern. "They're safe. I've been helping them out a bit, actually," I chuckled, my hand going to the back of my neck. "So, I never got to ask. How'd you like your name, Blood Storm?" he laughed along with me. "Oh, yeah," I gasped. I'd forgotten my alchemist name. "The Blood Storm Murderer was a great villain, over ALL of Amestris!" I exclaimed, jumping up and pumping one fist into the air. "Her saga IS discontinued, right?" he sighed, rolling his eyes. Being his little sister could be fun at times.. He could be a jerk, but at least I understood good sarcasm. "Of course," I said politely and carefully, bowing respectfully to him. "The show has ended."

"Well that's good to hear," a new voice growled. Oh, crap. I whipped around to face the taller-than-me blond. "E-Edward!" I squeaked. "So you're a murderer, are you?" he snarled, automail fist clenched. "Fullmetal, calm down. She said herself that she hasn't in years," Roy sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Just wait until I tell Al. He's the only reason that I let you stay," Ed smirked. Wow, he really needs to start paying attention. "Alphonse already knows. Don't bring him into this mess, because he doesn't care," I stated. Golden eyes widened a bit, "He knows? T-then why didn't he say anything? I'm his older brother!" he ranted. I growled at him loudly, "Shut up! Just because you're his brother, that does NOT mean that he's going to tell you everything! Just like he didn't tell you that he thought it was wrong when you two tried to bring your mother back!" I clamped my hands over my mouth, my eyes blurred with tears as they widened.

He fell to his knees, "I-I… Aiko… D-Does he h-h-hate m-me? I have to know.." I got down on my knees in front of him and pulled him into a hug. "He doesn't hate you, Ed. If anything, you're the one he idolizes. He's always talking about how happy you two will be when you get your arm and leg back, never about his own body…" I said reassuringly. The blond sobbed softly into my shoulder, "I-It's my fault… Even you said so." "Shh.. I never said it was your fault, Edward…" I whispered. Roy was smiling down at us and he gave a quick salute, dropping something on the ground and then walking away. Sitting like this made me think of a few weeks ago when I did that thing for Al. He said their mother did it for them, so maybe it would comfort him.

My hand reached up to pat his head and I kissed his cheek, "You're a good boy, Ed." His eyes were wide for a second before he smiled faintly, "Mom always did that… Th-Thank you, Aiko.." I chuckled a bit, "My brother always did that for me.. Come on. Al will get worried about you." Ed smiled up at me as I stood up and held out a hand for him. He grabbed it and nodded, "Eh-heh. You aren't gonna tell him that his big brother was crying, are ya?" I smirked at him, "Well, of course I am. I have _**ALL**_ night to talk to him." I pulled him up and he sighed, shaking his head. "I'll be right behind you, go on."

"Ok, see ya there," Ed smiled, running back towards the barn. I looked back to where Brother had dropped whatever he did. I bent over and picked it up, holding the heavy metal to my face so I could get a good look. I smirked a bit, "My old pocket watch, eh?" I clicked it open, pulling out the scrap of paper into him palm and attempting to read it.

_ Dear Aiko,_

_ I'm reinstating you into the military. Make good use of _

_ your name, because I've put it into the military files that_

_ your identity was stolen and someone else used your_

_ alchemy. No matter what, you're still my favorite sister._

_ ~Big Brother_

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><p>Atienne: heheheh, tell me hows i did!<br>Alphonse: I think you did alright.. especially where brother was crying *evil smirk*  
>Ed: SHUT UP!<br>Atienne: haha! very funny SHRIMP  
>Aiko and Ed: WHAT DID YOU SAY?<br>Alphonse: O_O oops. betcha forgot she's only 4' 6"  
>Atienne: OwO oh, yeah.. i did. whoopsie! Sorry Aiko, not you!<br>Aiko: ^^ok.  
>Atienne: Well, review! plz!<p> 


	4. Welcome Home

**DISCLAIMER:** I no own... I've checked, and it doesn't say anywhere on my birth certificate that my name is Hiromu Arakawa

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><p><strong>-Alphonse PoV-<strong>

_Brother and I can barely believe that it's been two years since we first met Aiko. Time has flown by effortlessly. She knows all about us, what happened a few years ago, she met Teacher (after she came and quite ruthlessly demanded our presence), and she's been helping us look for the Philosopher's Stone. I'm very happy that Brother let her tag along with us. It's like she understands all of our pain and misery. She does get very mad sometimes, though. VERY mad. At Edward. _

_She was in a much lighter mood when she got her State License back from the Colonel. Sometimes, though, she got sent on very long missions. Without me and Brother there with her.. It made me worry, no matter how many times she told us that she'd be fine. She even worried Brother sometimes. I think she'd grown on him quite a bit over that year of traveling together. That makes me happy. Even in this cold, hard shell, I can still have a FEW emotions. I can hang on to the small bits of humanity I still have._

_Currently, though, I've been very worried. It's been a long time since we last saw her. She went on year-long mission to Xing. She should be coming back to Central soon. Within this week, Colonel said. I wonder how she'll react. Will she be different? Will she speak differently? Will she see me and Brother differently from the way she did before?_

_Why did it hurt so much to see her leave us?_

**-Aiko PoV-**

Today, I feel terrible. I mean, sure, I'm almost back to Central, but I'm afraid. I wonder if Ed and Al got Al's body back yet.. I wonder why I hurt so much when I had to leave. But I get to see the Elrics again today. If they're in central, that is. I hope they are.. It's been a long mission, and I got what I originally went for. A philosopher's stone. My theories on creating one were correct. If you have a distinct memory of the souls you have destroyed, you can still use them to create the stone. It made me happy when that worked, because I knew that even if Ed and Al hadn't gotten their bodies back to normal, there was still hope. And Ed could finally quit as a dog of the military and they could both go to their home to Risembool.

The train finally pulled to a stop as I was deep in my thoughts. Someone bumped me as they were getting off, and I grabbed my small bag from the overhead compartment, slinging it over my shoulder as I started to the exit. I still have that headache from before. My stomach is burning up. Great, I'm going to be sick. Is it from worry? Anxiety? "Hey, kid. You alright?" a man asked. I nodded and pushed past him, trying to get to Central HQ before I passed out. I knew it wasn't a good idea to come home without eating anything.

The walk/run to Headquarters was a short one, but I was excited! It'd been so long since I'd seen anybody I'd recognized. Sure, I had a few friends in Xing, but they couldn't compare to Brother, or Hughes. Or Al… Definitely not Al. I lost my focus, because the next thing I felt was my forehead ramming into something hard and wooden, causing my tail to stiffen as I fell. I groaned, my hand slowly climbing up to rub the bump forming where I'd hit. "Ughhh…"

"You know, there IS a door there." I quickly sat up at the voice. I knew it all too well. "Hawkeye-san?" I muttered. She tilted her head, then opened the very door that had assaulted me. My ears were laid back flat against my head. Probably from hitting that door so hard. I managed to find my feet and I stood up, walking into the office while still rubbing my hand. "Well, well, little sister. You made it back," Roy chuckled, standing up and going to hug me. I smiled and leaned against him a bit, purring softly as I breathed. "Hisashiburi, nii-san.."

He blinked down at me, obviously wondering what I'd said. That was when I realized that I wasn't speaking the right language. "G-Gomen—I mean, s-sorry. Long time since I spoke this language. Said 'Long time no see, Brother'," I stuttered, not used to speaking Amestrian again. It'd been a year since I'd spoken the language. "Oh. I'd forgotten that you weren't around any Amestrian-speaking people. I doubt it'll take very long to get used to it again," he smiled, returning to his desk. I nodded, "Hope n-no." The blond woman looked at me strangely, "Who are you?"

"Aikoma Mustang… Little sister," I mumbled, pointing at Brother. "Oh," she smiled. I've heard about you. Just never met you in person." My head bobbed once to her and I bowed politely, "Nice to meet." I stood up quickly and looked back towards the cluttered desk. "Mission?" I asked him. He looked up at him, "Not for you, Aiko. But, you ARE the client for one of them. Until you pass your assessment, you must be guarded. I'll have Fullmetal do it. He should be here soon…" His expression changed into annoyance. "He was supposed to give a report a week ago.."

That made me smile. I'd get to see Al again! Seeing Ed was alright, too, but I really wanted to see Al. There was a loud crash as the door was slammed open. "Alright, Mustang! What's this about me babysitting?" a shorter-than-his-temper blond raged, clenching his fists. The two brothers looked at me funny, "Who's this?" I turned to them, then looked at Brother, walking over beside him. "You want to mess their minds?" I whispered to him so the Elrics wouldn't hear. Roy smirked as I stepped away, looking up at them. "This is…" he trailed off. "Samurakami Fuyuko," I finished for him, bowing to them. I could see Riza behind me from how deeply I'd bowed. She rolled her eyes, obviously figuring out what we were doing.

"Yes. Ms. Samurakami is traveling through Amestris to find her family. She isn't very good with the language yet, but she should be able to get her point across," Mustang sighed. This was his usual mission voice. I'd heard it before. But even worse, they didn't recognize me! That made me a bit depressed, but I had changed a lot. I'd grown about a half-an-inch, and I let my hair grow out. And besides, now I kept my ears and tail hidden… I guess I could understand why they wouldn't recognize me anymore. Ed's brow arched, "Ehm… Is that her first or last name?" I felt my cheeks heating up, "First?" I only asked to make my performance better. "What he means is what do people call you where you're from?" the armor asked. "Fuyuko… Or Fuyu," I mumbled softly, looking away.

"Alright, Fuyuko. It's nice to meet you," Al said, bowing a bit, himself. I smiled at them and nodded, "What me call you?" Ed gave Roy a look that had "What did you just get me into" written ALL over it. "I'm Edward, and this is my younger brother, Alphonse," he managed to stay. I blinked in shock. Yes, that still manages to shock me. "Younger? But he lots taller," I said loudly. There was a soft snickering sound from the suit of armor as Ed fumed, turning to Roy with an icy glare. He turned back to me, barely controlling his temper, "He is a whole year younger than I am. I am the bigger brother."

"B-Bigger? I learn wrong?" I whined a bit, pretending to get upset. Al continued to laugh as we walked outside. "You didn't learn wrong. He's a year older than I am," he chuckled. Ed was still fuming about me calling him small. "May I call you Aru-san?" I asked him. That _was_ what Al translated to in Xingese. "Sure. What's it mean?"

"Aru shorter than Alphonse.. –san is… Think it is like Mr?" I said, asking myself in my mind. I honestly didn't remember, but I was pretty sure that was right. "Oh. You don't have to call me Mr… I'm not from the State, I just follow my brother," he said, sounding nervous. I tilted my head, "Aru-kun? This from military?" I held out my old pocket watch. It had a lot of damage done to it over the past year. It'd been crushed, lit on fire, buried a few times, and thrown in a sewer system. The latter was definitely not a good memory. I gently laid it in the palm of his large, leather hand. If he had eyes, I was _**positive**_ that they would've been the size of plates. He looked at the back where my State alias was engraved into the metal. It was still quite visible, so I knew he could read it. The watch instantly fell to the ground, making a small thud. "Al, you alright?" Ed asked, staring down at the watch.

"Y-Yes.. That's from our military.. Where did you get it?" he asked, his very soul in tears. I got close to him and hugged around the cold metal, letting my ears stand up out of my hair. "Brother gave it to me.."

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><p>Atienne: I liked this one. It's all sad and stuff..<br>Alphonse: this was sad Ati-chan!  
>Aiko: O_O me no speak English?<br>Atienne: not here you don't! By the way, sorry for the time-skip. but I needed it.  
>Ed: because she got writer's block again<br>Atienne: SHUT UP YOU MICROSCOPIC FLEA!  
>Ed: F-FLEA? WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET THAT CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE BEACH BECAUSE HE'D JUST SINK INTO THE SAND AND WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO FREAKING WORRY ABOUT DROWNING BECAUSE HE'S SO MICROSCOPIC HE CAN JUST BREATH OXYGEN ATOMS THROUGH THE WATER?<br>Alphonse and Aiko: O_O geez, Edward..  
>Atienne: the only way that could be better would be if it was on helium. thats how I did it ^^<br>Alphonse: can we go home yet?  
>Atienne: did someone say it?<br>Aiko: *sighs* Review please! Flames will be used for the barbeque pit!


	5. Oh, great YOU again

**-Alphonse PoV-**

_To be honest,_ _I'm happy that Aiko is back. She really scared me on her first day back, though. When she tricked Brother and I, then showed me the Alchemists' watch… I assumed the worst. She apologized for it over and over for the first few days. She seemed a bit relieved to see us after being in Xing for so long. She still hasn't gotten used to Amestrian, but it's pretty easy to understand what she means. However, she is better than she was on the first two days. _

_ Her State Alchemy Assessment is coming up. Ed and I had to guard her for the past week while she was getting ready for it. She didn't ask for any help, though. I bet Ed could help her out. I hope she passes her test. If she didn't she'd have to go back to her hometown. She told us recently how far away it was. It was, according to her, a seven-day train ride to get there. We'd never see her around anymore. I'd hate it if that happened…She's my best friend…_

** -Aiko PoV-**

Assessment today…crap. I may look it, but I'm not even close to being ready for it. I need to see Al. Him and Ed didn't get their bodies back, so I was going to give them my stone before I went to the assessment. I sighed and started into the building, walking towards my brother's office. As soon as I got there I saw Ed and Al. My brow arched a bit, "Hi.. What you doing here?" I asked softly, giving them a look. "Ed has to do his assessment today, too, apparently," Al replied. This was when I saw the familiar obsidian-eyed male smirk, "And it's under Furher's orders that you two have a battle assessment. He figured it'd be entertaining." My jaw dropped at that. At least, it felt like it did. "W-WHAT?" we both yelled at him. He returned our shouting with a small shrug.

The short blond growled and marched up to the desk, slamming his hands onto the desk, "Why do I have to fight her?" Roy smirked, apparently taking my side at the moment. "What, are you scared, shrimp?" His nonchalant tone made me want to laugh. But the thing that actually made me laugh was Ed spazzing out about it. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THEY COULD RIDE ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THE BACK OF A GRASSHOPPER?" he screamed, lashing his arms violently over his head in his hissy fit. "None other than you, oh mighty steel one!" I imitated a bowing motion. He seemed angry now, judging by the priceless look on his face."YOU. Are. Dead," he growled, giving me the "I'm watching you" fingers. I patted his head, "Oh, bring it on."

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><p>Atienne: Ok, ok. i know it was short, but I at LEAST had to post something TTATT<br>Al: its ok, Ati-chan.  
>Ed: REVIEW! OR ILL EXPLODE ON YOU WITH THE RANTS!<br>Atienne: Nah, they'd like that too much. How bout this. We will get Armstrong on you if you don't review. *smirk*  
>Ed: *gulps* eh-heh.. yeah...<p> 


	6. B is for Birthday, C is for Coma!

**DISLCAIMER:** i dont own it! Aiko is mine, though!

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><p><strong>-Alphonse PoV-<strong>

_ Battle assessment? Who would win? I hoped that nobody would get hurt… Knowing Ed and Aiko, one of them would at LEAST get into the hospital. If we were lucky it'd just be the hospital. Very lucky. Those two were the most destructive, violent people I'd ever met and made friends with. And those two fighting against each other would be catastrophic. I remember when Ed had to fight the Colonel and they had to clean up their mess. I hate to imagine them cleaning THIS one up. _

_ Neither Ed nor Aiko seem too happy about this year's assessment. In fact, Ed is pretty stressed about it. He either doesn't want to hurt her, or he does and he's trying to scheme about how to try to knock the life out of her. She's not worried though. She's managed to stay completely calm over this whole thing. That just made him even angrier than what he already was. No matter how mad he got at her, she kept a completely straight, almost bored-looking face. That part of the whole thing was a bit funny, though._

**-Aiko PoV-**

Hmmm.. My battle assessment with Edward is today. Haha, Ima have some fun with this. A LOT of fun. I'm not too excited for the mess that lies afterward, but eh. I'll live. "Aikoma! Get out of your room and get ready," my brother huffed from the other side of the dorm door. This caused me to jump a bit, falling off the edge of my bed. I shook my head and grumbled a bit about nosy brothers, proceeding to get up to my feet and grabbing my military uniform (not common dress for me, but at least Ed had to wear one, too).

"Stupid Ed… being taller than me.. stupid height.." I muttered my thoughts out loud, my tail swishing inquisitively behind me. That is, before it hit something. Something very sharp. I yowled in pain, jumping and turning to see the damage done. "That… was my tail.." I growled, my canines scratching against my teeth in anger, looking at the bleeding part of my dark orange tail, then towards my assailant who'd, ever so kindly, cut it off.

My eyes widened at the sight of her, then I stared up to her face, "Y-You..!" I yelped as she threw her spear-like claws in my direction, only missing my heart as I turned to the side. She'd managed to make large lacerations on my left side, one of the talons stuck in my arm. I whimpered softly at her throwing me across the room and striding towards the door, locking it and setting a chair under the knob. She meant business.

This was probably the punishment I'm supposed to receive for getting out of Lab 5 so long ago. But Lust is gonna learn. She's gonna learn not to mess with the tail. "You. Are going. To pay for that," I panted, standing up (quite shakily, might I add) and letting a blade fall from my sleeve, plunging it into her back close to where I knew her Philosopher's Stones would be. She gave an angered sneer before whipping around and tossing me into the wall again, her skin healing almost instantly. With the next hit, my sight became a bit blurry. "Your friend was as weak as you are, chimera girl. Except, he had a family he was _so _desperately trying to live for. I pity your kind for their weakness."

My head throbbed as I got back to my feet, nearly falling over again, "Well, I don't have a family anymore. A robber made sure of that. My brother is family by blood, and I love him dearly, but I have others I must protect. Hit, punch, cut me apart for all I care, but until I'm dead, not you, or ANYONE for that matter, will touch or harm them," I sputtered, blood dribbling from the corners of my mouth to my chin. This made her smirk, "Very well. But I must ask, is this 'other' person a suit of armor, doubting his own existence? Why waste that GIFT of yours for something like that." _Waste? Oh, I KNOW you didn't just say that._

"It isn't a waste when it's for someone you love!" I shouted, jumping at her and throwing her into a table. The raven woman didn't even seem fazed by my attack. Of course not, unless I took her stone, she WOULDN'T be. But how to—

**CRACK**

She'd hit me over the back with something hard, long, and metal. I could hear and _feel_ my vertebrae dislodging and tearing away. "You know nothing of love. You are despised everywhere you go. Think of this as doing you a FAVOR," she grumbled, slashing through my neck with her blade-like fingers. "Y-You're… s..ick.." I groaned before letting the darkness envelope me.

**_-X-_**

When I came to, I was surrounded by muffled voices and a very bright light in my eye. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to avoid the brightness. Was it sun? or the Gate possibly? No, I was in a building.. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What on Earth? "She's waking up!" I heard distantly. I opened my eyes again, thankful for the flashlight they'd been using now gone away. Brother rushed to the side of the hospital bed, eyes clouded with grief and concern. It was obvious that he'd been crying his eyes out. Poor, poor Brother..

He gently hugged me, though it was firm at the same time. He breathed shakily into my hair, "I'm so glad you're alright.. We were so worried.." I gasped sharply at one of the doctors probing my side where I'd been sliced open by the homunculus. Roy gave him a look that clearly said 'Go away or I'll burn you to ashes'. The man hurried away from us worried for his career, and most likely, his life.

He turned his head back to me and managed a faint smile. I hugged him tighter, sighing softly. "Th-The doctors said your vocal cords were damaged severely.. They told us that if we'd found you immediately and brought you here, they could've fixed it… but we got to you too late… I'm so sorry, Aikoma…" he sniffed, tears starting on him again. He was usually so cocky and sarcastic; it was a lot different to see this side of him. I nodded slowly in reply to his words. I had expected that much.. then I started to wonder a little bit. How long had I been unconscious?

My arms worked to push him away a little bit, giving a confused look at him. I tried to mouth the words to him. 'How long was I asleep?' I tried my best to ask slowly, so he'd understand better. He looked confused for a second, then looked around. As soon as he'd spotted it, he picked up a note pad and a pen, giving them to me. I wrote down my question and showed him the pad. "Ohhh.. Well, to put this delicately… It's been about six months.." My eyes widened and I was sure that if it wasn't in a brace (To keep me from bothering my neck wound, no doubt) my jaw would've dropped to the floor.

The pen made a scratching noise as I wrote on the pad again. _'WHAT? I didn't wake up until now?'_ I nearly shoved the pad in his face, seeing myself in his endless black orbs. I was frantic, panicky, and an overall WRECK. He stood up slowly, giving me a small smile, "Yeah.. sorry, kid.. I have to go, but someone will be in soon to check on you. I'll see you after work." He walked out of the hospital room, giving a wave.

His words reminded me of when I was too little to be in the military. I'd watch him do all of his paperwork, promising that I'd get in eventually. The one time when he said I could try to get past the exams, my heart leaped and I was so happy. I could remember how I felt passing the exam at age 12. I was considered the youngest to ever pass. Two years later, a kid named Edward Elric beat that record, passing at age 11. Of course, by then I was already considered a mass murderer and locked up by the Furher himself. Being tested like some sort of wild animal, and slowly being turned into the same. They tried so many kinds of cats on me, tigers, lions, domestic.. It got ridiculous, really..

Laboratory 5 was what they called that facility. Guarded by criminals that were executed and their souls bonded to a suit of armor. Yes, they were like Alphonse in a way… But only in the way of their current body.. That reminded me of something.. but wait.. Where was my necklace?

My eyes scanned the room frantically until they rested on a large silver locket with a ruby red stone of the same size. I Reached out for it, taking it gently into the palm of my hand and sighing in relief. They hadn't found out about my Philosopher's Stone.. I needed that gravely.. Especially since Roy told me when it was. Six months, eh? That would make it late April. About time for Al's birthday. And I wanted to give him a good gift. I looked at a calendar for the date. April 22nd. So it was tomorrow?

There was a soft squeal as the hinges on the door were put to work, and two people walked inside. One I recognized to be Ed, the other was a suit of armor. I smiled at the sight of my friends, dropping the necklace into my lap under the blanket. Ed gasped and ran to me, hugging me tightly, but careful not to jostle me too much. "Aiko! You woke up _finally_! We were worried about you!" he exclaimed. Wow, this is the same reaction I got from Brother. Definitely not expected from Ed. I was sure that if Al could smile he would've. I was absolutely positive that he was worried out of his wits.

Metal clanked a bit as his large leather hand reached out to pat my head, stroking my ears gently. My left one flicked, causing that whole side of my face to twitch. I could understand why he wasn't so freaked out as Ed. Or at least, I _hoped_ that it was because he didn't want me stressing after waking from a six month coma. I gave him a smile, along with a purr. Ed stood up and smiled back, "So, you feel alright?" I looked around for my pad and pen, locating them and scribbling a bit. _'Yeah, mostly. How're you guys?' _

The blond blinked a bit, "Fine. What's with the pad? Lose your voice from not using it for so long?" I shook my head and wrote again. _'Damaged in the attack. I won't be able to talk again.' _I showed them the pad, looking down towards my lap. Ed gasped a bit, his eyes widening, then scrunching up his face in anger, "Whoever did this will pay.. I promise.." I shook my head once more and drew a picture of the tattoo, writing one word beneath it. _'Homunculi'_

Golden eyes widened to the size of apples. "Which one?" Al questioned quickly. I shook my head, writing more slowly. _'Don't worry about it right now.. Right now, just be happy. Tomorrow is your birthday, Al. I have a present for you.' _ I showed him the pad and then waited. "A present? Huh?" he asked confused. I nodded, then held the locket out, showing them the Philosopher's Stone that had been put into it. Ed gasped, "Is that.. Is it really a full Stone?"

This caused me to smile bigger as I nodded to the blond and his armor-bound (though not for much longer) brother. I tossed it to them slowly, writing on my pad once more, _'Happy birthday, Al. It's time you got your body back.'_

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><p>Atienne: Awwww.. That's a happy ending, ya'll.<br>Al: *sighs* won't be for long. we all know it's not finished yet.  
>Aiko: yup. Well, review pleasies!<br>Atienne: please and thank yous!


	7. D is for Do I know you?

**DISCLAIMER:** i doesnt own. last time i checked, my name isn't Hiromu Arakawa.

And, just so y'all dont get confused:  
><em>'Writing'<br>_**Thinking**_  
><em>'READING'  
>"Talking"<br>_Mouthing  
><em>

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><p>"Alright, Ms. Mustang. You're going to be released today, here are your things," the doctor said as he handed me a black bag and the, now patched, uniform I had on when I came in. I beamed and wrote on my pad. <em>'Thank you very much.' <em> He smiled back, "No problem. Just stay out of trouble, and don't try to strain yourself into using your voice. I know you _can_, but please don't. I'd hate to see you back in here for that."

This caused me to roll my eyes and nod, but I still remained smiling. He left me to put on my clothes and I sighed as he closed the door. It'd been a week since Al's birthday. They hadn't returned since that day. They had, no doubt, attempted to get Al's body back already, but I wished they would come back so I could see them again, with their bodies. I pulled on my black shirt and the blue uniform pants, pulling the jacket over my shoulder. I could put it on later. There was a slight rustle and I looked at the door. There was a large envelope under it.

My bare feet made no noise as I stepped to the door, picking up the envelope and undoing the ties at the top. When I pulled out the contents, there was a new pocket-watch and a paper with my Alchemist alias with a big red ink blot. 'PASSED' it said, in bold crimson letters. I smiled to myself, dropping the papers back into the folder and the watch into my pocket, hooking it onto a belt loop. I worded a thank you to the Furher, silently pleading that it would clear up and I could speak without killing myself. I pulled my boots on, tucking my pants in. Quickly, I grabbed my black bag and stuffed my jacket into it, pulling it over my shoulders and walking out of the room, down the hall and out of the hospital. I went to the first place that made sense to me. Central Military Headquarters.

A car whizzed past as I ran down the road to the building and past the gate, going as fast as I could to Brother's office. I bolted up the stairs and I saw his office. I slid a bit, then felt a sharp pain as I fell to the ground. I lay there in silence while only wishing that I could've groaned, rubbing the knot forming on my head. **Stupid door.** Roy opened the door and chuckled a bit, "I don't think the door really likes you, Aikoma." I sent my best glare up at him, kicking him gently in the leg before standing up, my ears flat against my head. I missed the most of my tail that Lust cut off. Now it was just a little stump. He patted my head, black eyes gleaming a bit, "Come in, I suppose. What did you want? Something happen?"

_'I got out of the hospital. I came to see you. Is that a crime, Brother?'_ I wrote and showed my pad, one eyebrow arching up in question. "Hmm. Might be, but I'll let it slide," he huffed, not amused by me, of all people joking about crime. Not that I could blame him. _'Sorry.. Have you seen anything of Ed or Al?'_

"I was about to ask you the same thing.. they disappeared right after you woke up, said they had 'business' to take care of. You don't know what they meant by that, do you?" he asked, his eyes darkening with worry. "Well.. Do you kn—" I cut off as the door swung open. "Mustang, it's been great working with you, but… Aiko?" the blond questioned with wide eyes.

**Speak of the devil..** _'Well, howdy Neighbor'_ I wrote, putting in parentheses at the bottom of the message (southern accent). There was another person with him. He was small (same height as me) and had his head down. Short, honey-brown hair just barely shaded his eyes. "Why don't you, Aiko, and Edward's friend go out for a minute? It appears that we have something we need to talk about. Alone," Roy sighed, glancing at the long-haired blond.

**Sigh.** _Alright.. Seeya in a minute, _I mouthed and folded my arms over my chest, padding out of the room with the smaller boy and closing the door behind us. "What's your name?" he asked quietly as I sat on the bench. He remained standing, his head fixed to look at his feet. _'It's Aikoma, but you can just call me Aiko'_ I showed him the pad, staring up. "Why can't you talk?" he asked innocently. I looked down and wrote slowly so my rage didn't pour out onto the plain white pad and spill ink everywhere. _'I was attacked. Lost my vocal cords.'_ **Where is Al? And why didn't he come with Edward?** "How old are you?"

My fingers worked to show sixteen by flashing all ten fingers, then only six and then I folded my arms behind my head. "Wow sixteen? You're only as tall as I am.." he trailed off when I gave a small glare. "When did you become a state alchemist?" Man. The questions coming from this kid._ 'I was 12 when I took the exams. Say, kid. What's with all the questions? Can I ask you a few?'_ He blushed in a chibi way and nodded, still standing up, "S-Sorry.. Ask me whatever you want.." I smiled genuinely at him. He wasn't so bad. _Alright, how about you sit down?_ I tried to speak slowly, patting the bench next to me. He looked up for a second and nodded, sitting beside me. "You can just mouth the words.. I can understand."

_What's your favorite animal?_ I asked as a first _real_ question. "Oh, that's easy! I love cats!" he grinned, grey eyes glistening happily. _Oh really?_ I laughed in silence, air the only thing coming out, then let my ears poke up out of my hair. He gasped and sat up on his knees, one arm on the back of the bench, petting one of them softly. "Are they real?" he spoke eagerly. I nodded and beamed, glancing up at him. "That's cool! Do you have a tail, too?" he pressed.

**Do you have a tail?** _I-I used to.. It got cut off.._ I moved my lips, looking down. "Oh.. I'm sorry Aiko.. I didn't know," he apologized, giving a small smile. I shrugged, _It's fine. I've learned to live with it._ He gave me a small, loose hug. "That's good." That made my cheeks heat up, and as he pulled away, my eyes widened in realization. _Oh my..._ I gasped. _Alphonse.._

His head tilted to the side, showing a chain hanging around his neck and under his shirt. "How'd you know my name? I didn't tell you, did I?" I grasped the chain and gently pulled out a silver locket, though the stone was gone now. **It worked..** I smiled a bit. _The transmutation worked.._ He looked at the locket and I turned my gaze downwards.** He must not remember what happened while he was in the armor.** That'd also explain why he looked so young. _You don't remember me, but I was a close friend of you and your brother._

"That must've been from before I got my body back, right?" he asked, a spark lit in his eyes. _Right_ I nodded. I turned to the opening door of Roy's office then sighed, _C'mon, Al. I have to talk to your brother for a minute._ He nodded and followed slowly, as soon as he came into the room, the blond smiled a bit. _'Ed, when were you planning on telling me that my gift worked?'_ I returned to my pad, mentally folding my arms over my chest. His eyes widened, "Al, I told you not to tell anyone who you were."

"H-Hey! I _didn't_! She figured it out!" the brunet huffed. _'I'm smarter than you think, Ed. But, anyways, I thought he was older..'_ I blinked, pointing my pen at him. Ed sighed a bit, "He is, he's thirteen, but where his body was caught in the gate, it didn't age… at all.. and his memory was stripped…" I grinned, and so did Roy. **Flip the page, this is good stuff.. **_'I just might be able to help you with that. My alchemy special, is aging.'_

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Al asked, scratching his head, looking back and forth at all of us. Ed's eyes lit up in remembrance, "Oh, yeah! I forgot! Can you still do it?" I nodded to him, _'Yeah, but it might hurt him a little bit.. Growing pains, and all.'_ Ed looked at his brother, "And if we get him the right age, his memory might return. Al, is it alright if she does a little alchemy on you. Ya know, to get you to the proper age?" The honey-brunet looked at me, "How much will it hurt?" I shook my head,_ 'Not much. A little at first, and where your body will be growing and stretching, so it'll ache a little bit. But not too bad.'_ Ed gave him an encouraging smile and then looked at me.

"Alright. You can do it.. Just, be careful. I just got it back, I don't want to ruin my body already.." he sighed a bit, definitely uncomfortable with the idea. he crossed his arms over his stomach, running his hands up and down his upper arms. I nodded and grabbed his hand, walking out of the room, "I'll be back, Ed. This might be a little bit, but I'll bring him back." **Screw the doctor. I'll get my voice back. **I coughed a good bit after using my voice, even though it was only a whisper. **Blood.**

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><p>Atienne: Bum-bum-bum!<br>Aiko: aww. this was fluffy. And, oh yeah. OWWWWW! Why you mekkin me cough blood? I ain't Heiderich.  
>Atienne: hey now, hey now. Leave Alfons out of this.<br>Alfons: that was mean, Aiko..  
>Aiko: oh well.<br>Al: Well, you all had better review. How'd y'all like the dramatic ending?  
>Atienne: Hey! We all start with As! epic.<br>Aiko: sweet.  
>Armstrong: THE LETTER A HAS BEEN AN IDENTIFYING TRAIT THAT HAS RUN DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS! *sparkles*<br>Aiko: ehh  
>Alphonse: O.O<br>Atienne: *shudders* ok... well.. that was disturbing. Reviews are much loved! So please give generously!


	8. E  Everything Went Wrong!

**DISCLAIMER:** i doesnt own. last time i checked, my name isn't Hiromu Arakawa.

And, just so y'all dont get confused:  
><em>'Writing'<br>_**Thinking**_  
><em>'READING'  
>"Talking"<br>_Mouthing_

by the way! I got some awesome fanart from Rikkashey! Thanks ya very much! Heres the link:  
>.com?qh=§ion=&q=rikkashey#/d3n3jn8

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><p>My eyes widened at the taste in the back of my throat. Al gave me a look, "What's wrong?" I shook my head and mouthed, <em>It's nothing, Alphonse… Shouldn't have talked. C'mon.<em> He gave a small nod and a concerned look at his feet. I squeezed his hand reassuringly and smiled. When we got to the old warehouse, I clapped my hands and placed them on the ground carefully, creating an array for minor aging. I pointed to the center of the array and mouthed, _Sit right there. This shouldn't take very long._

He gave an uneasy nod and looked down as he sat where I told him to. I clapped my hands again and pressed them onto his shoulders gently, watching as the array glowed a light blue color. His body was glowing a pale white as it started to grow a bit. His face matured a few years and his eyes got a bit sharper. He groaned in pain as I pulled back, the array dimming back to black. He was a bit big for the clothes he had on before he'd aged three years. I smiled a bit, _You alright? _

His eyes fixed on me and he tilted his head, his eyes widening a bit before he passed out. I gasped and held him close, my eyes widening a bit. **Dang.. Didn't think **_**that**_** would happen.. **I picked him up and held him bridal style, taking him over to a couch and stumbling a bit along the way. I was already short! I didn't need to be top-heavy, too! I laid him down gently and used my alchemy again to get rid of the array I'd made.

There was a shuffling sound and I looked around. I wished I could ask who was there, my eyes wide. It was less than a second before I felt a sharp in my head and everything went blurry. I saw a dark figure hoist the boy over their shoulder before the dimension of sleep called to me.

_-X-_

My eyes cracked open to darkness. I sat up quickly and looked at the couch, my ears perking up. It was empty. I searched frantically around the warehouse for the honey-brunette. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered that whoever was there had taken him away. I fell down to the ground after I'd ravaged the entire place, sobbing into my palms. I wiped my eyes and got up, sniffling as I ran back to the HQ.

"Hey Aiko! Need a lift?" I heard a voice. I whipped around to see Riza and smiled, nodding and wiping my eyes again. I climbed into the backseat of the black car she had and mouthed a thank you to her. "Where to, Headquarters?" she asked as she started to drive again. I gave another small nod.

She dropped me off and went to park as I ran into the building. To the door. I actually remembered to open the door this time. My vision went blurry and I was sure I had gone crosseyed. This time, I hit the doorframe. "Really, kiddo? Remembered the door but forgot the frame?" Roy asked as he held out his hand to me. I grabbed it and hugged him as soon as I'd gotten to my feet I had him in a hug. He hugged me back and blinked a bit, "Aiko, what's wrong?... And where's Fullmetal's brother?"

_Gone.. He… He got taken away after I finished.._ I mouthed up to him. I did it slowly so he'd understand, and I know he did. His onyx eyes widened to the size of apples and he paled (scary, right?). I nuzzled my face into his chest and cried a bit more. "Shh.. It's alright Aiko.. We'll find him.."

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><p>Atienne: I know this was REALLLLYYYY short, but I'm sorry! I lost my thought for this! NO more plot bunnies hiding under my couch!<br>Aiko: Yeah! Al completely cleaned the house! All the plot bunnies were taken and thrown away  
>Al: *still cleaning* WHAT ABOUT MY CLEANING?<p> 


	9. Fallen into Despair

**DISCLAIMER:** me no owns! i not Hiromu Arakawa! i swear!

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><p>My big brother was trying to be comforting, and that counted… right? I think that counted… Brothers, especially <em>older<em> brothers were supposed to protect and make their little sisters feel better. Even after they've screwed up something so simple. Even though he tried, he couldn't make this any better. I let Lust take Alphonse, and it was all my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid and I'd been watching, I could've saved him. Now he was probably being tortured by the homunculus and there wasn't anything I could do because Furher Bradley wouldn't let the military investigate. I couldn't wait for the day when Brother took his place.

"Ocean?" I resorted to asking people to call me by my nickname again. Being called 'Aiko' was just too painful right now. I turned to the bright red-haired girl and smiled softly—well, I smiled as best as I could. "Hey Gin. How'd it go with Ed?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. She sighed and looked down, "He didn't take it well. He's pretty mad. Not at you, though. It's directed more at the homunculus!" She stuttered, ending her sentence with a nervous laugh. I could tell she wasn't telling me everything. "Gin, what's going on? What _else_ happened?" I questioned eagerly. She closed her eyes and sighed, "He's mad because we found a dead body on the side of the street. It was soaked in blood, speared, and beaten beyond recognition. The only reason that we're worried is because the person that owned that body had a red jacket and looked about Al's age."

"He's d-dead?" I swallowed, shivering from my own concern and fear. I could feel my heart clenching and unclenching in my chest, my stomach turning and twisting into my throat. My head throbbed evenly with my heartbeat and I nearly broke down. The one who had basically adopted me, made me his own, then forgot me… he couldn't be gone. Not yet, he was too young! He was much too young to die! Not counting that in his memories he was even younger…

Gin nodded softly, her eyes clouded with grief and… guilt? Was that a hint of remorse I saw? "I'm sorry, Ocean. I know that you loved him.." she sighed softly. I swayed slightly, quivering uncontrollably. It wasn't like I could help it when I cried, it all just sort of happened. Tears just worked their way into my eyes and they had to go _somewhere._ I knew that, but I just never wore waterproof makeup. People always knew when I was crying, and I ended up yelling at Alphonse for that before we got his body back. He looked like he could've cried with me after that, but I just walked away. I just stormed away from him. He looked so sad the next time I saw him, but I just didn't know what to say to him. I didn't want to see him cry again, but I didn't want to go without an apology.

_-Flashback-_

_ After I'd been told that Roy's eye was damaged, I just couldn't help it. I cried. Sat in a corner and cried. That was all I could do, and it sounded like a good plan for the day. But no, I had to be interrupted. That never ended well, and I mean NEVER. "Aiko? What's wrong?" a small voice questioned me. I didn't hear him, well, I pretended I didn't hear him. "Aiko? Answer me? Please tell me what's wrong!" his voice became more urgent. That made me get up and snarl at him, "Nothing's wrong! Leave me alone!" _

_ That was when I stormed away from him, stomping a little as I went away. After about a half hour, my heart turned up in knots to make its way to my throat. I'd walked past him a few times after I yelled at him, but I mostly noticed the saddened hunch he had. I could always tell when he was sad, even if he couldn't. I sighed and after another hour, I went to go find him. After I'd asked, I started towards the bank of the river. That's where I saw him, finally. _

_ "A-Alphonse?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. He jumped up, holding his arms up defensively. I sighed and got closer to him, "I just came to say I was sorry for earlier. I'm really sorry for yelling at you, I was just… I don't even know." I started to laugh a little bit; I couldn't help myself. I didn't know why I was so angry that time. He probably would've been smiling if he could've, "It's fine, Aiko. I was just a little worried, is all."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Ocean? Hellooo?" a hand waved before my face and for a second I thought it was going to smack me. "Huh? What?" I shuddered, blinking at my friend. She huffed and shook her head at me, "You are an airhead, Ocean! Such a freaking airhead!" I smiled apologetically, my hand reaching for the back of my neck. "Heh… I sowwy!" I replied, giggling a little.

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><p>Atienne: how sad...<br>Ocean: *sniffles and tears up* w-what happened to him!  
>Alphonse: *mumbles around a gag* n'hin! 'm nky!<br>Atienne: that's hostage for nothing! I'm okay!  
>Ed: well, review silly monkeys!<p> 


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